Absorbent garment having a trapezoidal shaped retention element

Abstract

An absorbent garment includes a front body panel having a terminal waist edge and a terminal crotch edge and a rear body panel having a terminal waist edge and a terminal crotch edge. A crotch member extends between and is coupled to the front and rear body panels. The crotch member includes a retention element having a trapezoidal shape. In another aspect, a method of manufacturing an absorbent garment includes moving first and second webs of body panel material in a first machine direction, moving a web of absorbent material in a second machine direction, and cutting the web of absorbent material and thereby forming a plurality of trapezoidally shaped retention elements, with each of the plurality of retention elements having non-parallel side edges. The method further includes successively coupling the plurality of retention elements to the first and second webs with the side edges extending in a cross-direction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An absorbent garment comprising: 
 a front body panel comprising a terminal waist edge and a terminal crotch edge;    a rear body panel comprising a terminal waist edge and a terminal crotch edge; and    a crotch member extending between and coupled to said front and rear body panels, said crotch member comprising a retention element having a trapezoidal shape.    
     
     
         2 . The absorbent garment of  claim 1  wherein said crotch edge of said rear body panel is spaced apart from said crotch edge of said front body panel so as to form a gap therebetween, and wherein said crotch member spans said gap  
     
     
         3 . The absorbent garment of  claim 1  wherein said retention element consists essentially of an absorbent material.  
     
     
         4 . The absorbent garment of  claim 1  wherein said retention element comprises a superabsorbent material.  
     
     
         5 . The absorbent garment of  claim 1  wherein said retention element has first and second parallel terminal edges and non-parallel, linear side edge, wherein said first terminal edge is shorter than said second terminal edge.  
     
     
         6 . The absorbent garment of  claim 5  wherein said first terminal edge overlies said front body panel and wherein said second terminal edge overlies said rear body panel.  
     
     
         7 . The absorbent garment of  claim 1  wherein said terminal crotch edges of said front and rear body panels are curvilinear.  
     
     
         8 . The absorbent garment of  claim 1  wherein said crotch member further comprises a top sheet and a back sheet, wherein said retention element is sandwiched between said top sheet and said back sheet.  
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing an absorbent garment comprising: 
 moving first and second webs of body panel material in a first machine direction;    moving a web of absorbent material in a second machine direction;    cutting said web of absorbent material and thereby forming a plurality of trapezoidally shaped retention elements, each of said plurality of retention elements having non-parallel side edges; and    successively coupling said plurality of retention elements to said first and second webs with said side edges extending in a cross-direction.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said first and second machine directions are parallel.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein each of said plurality of retention elements comprises a first terminal edge and a second terminal edge, wherein said first terminal edge is shorter than said second terminal edge, and wherein said first and second terminal edges of each of said plurality of retention elements are positioned adjacent said second and first terminal edges respectively of a next adjacent retention element.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said cutting said web of absorbent material comprises cutting said web of said absorbent web in a cross direction and thereby forming said non-parallel side edges.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising rotating every other one of said plurality of said retention elements prior to said successively coupling said plurality of retention elements to said first and second webs.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said rotating every other one of said plurality of said retention elements comprises rotating every other one of said plurality of said retention elements about an axis other than a cross direction axis.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising sandwiching each of said plurality of retention elements between a backsheet and a topsheet, wherein said successively coupling said plurality of retention elements to said first and second webs comprises successively connecting one of said back sheet and said top sheet to said first and second webs.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said first and second webs have first and second crotch edges respectively, wherein said first crotch edge is spaced from said second crotch edge.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said first and second crotch edges each comprise alternating peaks and valleys, wherein said peaks of said first crotch edge are aligned in the cross direction with the peaks of said second crotch edge.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said retention element consists essentially of an absorbent material.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said retention element comprises a superabsorbent material.  
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing an absorbent garment comprising: 
 moving first and second webs of body panel material in a first machine direction, wherein said first and second webs have first and second crotch edges respectively, wherein said first crotch edge is spaced from said second crotch edge so as to form a gap therebetween;    moving a web of absorbent material in a second machine direction;    cutting said web of absorbent material and thereby forming a plurality of trapezoidally shaped retention portions, each of said plurality of retention portions having non-parallel side edges, a first terminal edge and a second terminal edge, wherein said first terminal edge is shorter than said second terminal edge, and wherein said first and second terminal edges of each of said plurality of retention elements are positioned adjacent said second and first terminal edges respectively of a next adjacent retention element;    successively rotating every other one of said plurality of said retention elements approximately 180 degrees about an axis other than a cross direction axis; and    successively coupling said plurality of retention portions to said first and second webs with said side edges extending in a cross-direction, wherein said retention portion bridges at least a portion of said gap between said first and second webs.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising sandwiching each of said plurality of retention elements between a backsheet and a topsheet, wherein said successively coupling said plurality of retention elements to said first and second webs comprises successively connecting one of said back sheet and said top sheet to said first and second webs, wherein at least one of said back sheet and said top sheet bridged said gap between said first and second webs.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein said first and second crotch edges each comprise alternating peaks and valleys, wherein said peaks of said first crotch edge are aligned in the cross direction with the peaks of said second crotch edge.